Whitsand Bay walk: Rame to Tregantle

Bank Holiday Monday. What to do? A bit more of the Cornish Coastal Footpath, that's what. For this stretch we went a little closer to home and tackled one of the two remaining segments we had to do to complete the south-east Cornwall portion. We took two cars, left one at the end, then drove to the start in the other and walked back. It was a just under 5 miler along Whitsand Bay from Rame Head to Tregantle Fort. A clear, quite sunny day and one that was ideal for a walk along the coast. And it delivered exactly what we were expecting from the day.

Here's the route. Really easy directions, just head west with the sea on the left hand side. Just under 5 miles and, as the profile shows, with a few ups and downs. About 1/3 of it was along a road but a road with sea views all the way so that wasn't a distraction. Oh yes, I will mention that we had a choice of two watering holes at about the half way mark. The View and the Clifftop. We chose The View and very good it was, too. With a view.

The lump to the left of the more discernible spike in the middle distance is where we started the walk. The lump is the lookout on Rame Head and it was originally one of the Lloyds Signal Stations. It was used to send messages to passing ships using flags during the day and, often less successfully, lights at night. By 1905 radio signalling had rendered visual forms of communication obsolete and the building was converted into a radio station. Some time around 1925 it was converted into a Coastguard lookout and is now run by the National Coastwatch Institution.
The spike is a chapel, now a ruin, is dedicated to St Michael in common with many other mediaeval chapels in high, rocky places. The chapel was first licensed for Mass in 1397 and is thought to be on the site of a Celtic hermitage. It used to be a place of pilgrimage from the nearby Maker church and there is a tradition of lodging coins between the stones of the chapel in memory of sailors. I put one there for my dad shortly after he died.

This stone by the side of the path, inscribed with WD and 1867, is a boundary marker from the War Department. The War Department eventually became the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The upward-pointing "broad arrow" symbol above WD began as a 16th Century mark for the government's property that later appeared on prison uniforms and military equipment. Although it is no longer used by the MOD, it is still a criminal offence to reproduce the symbol on goods without authority. One of my uncles worked in the Army stores and my tool box still has several 'broad arrow' spanners in it. Maybe I should return them? 

Looking due west along Whitsand Bay, with Looe Island in the distance. It gets sandier further on and, despite the steep climb down to the beach, it is a very popular place.

Polhawn Fort faces out over the beach and was built in the early 1860s to defend the eastern approach to Whitsand Bay. It was armed with a battery of seven 68-pounder guns. A design flaw was that its exposed left side could be attacked from the sea and this was not as heavily fortified as the front which faces onto the beach. Were they expecting an attack from the sand-castle builders?  Rather than improving it, its role was taken over by the batteries at Tregantle and Raleigh (Torpoint) and Polhawn was abandoned by the MOD in 1928. The building survives as an exclusive hotel and upmarket wedding venue.

The warning sign was more dramatic than the actual route. At no time did I (we?) feel that we were venturing along anything remotely dangerous.

This part of the cost is dotted with little huts, chalets and shacks hugging the cliffs. It is known as 'Plymouth by the Sea' as it is a popular place with residents of the nearby city. They might not look much, and many of them do not have main services, but they fetch a good price when they come up for sale.

It was a clear day and the lighthouse on the Eddystone rock was quite visible, as was the stump of the previous lighthouse built by Smeaton. The top part of the latter is now part of the iconic panorama of Plymouth Hoe. The inset shows the relationship of the two. At this point, they are about 8 miles off-shore.

On the cliff at Tregonhawke overlooking Whitsand Bay we came across this simple stone Celtic cross keeping alive the memory of a 150-year-old family tragedy. It is inscribed:
In the beloved memory of Edward Spender
Aged 44 years
And of his sons
Reginald and Sidney
Who were drowned whilst bathing
Beneath this cliff
On Whit-Sunday June 9 1878
Edward died while trying to rescue his sons, Reginald, aged 13, and Sydney, aged 11. The family legend, or so I've read,  is that they died by being trapped in quicksand. However, members of the local surf lifesaving club think that a rip current is a more likely explanation.

 

Tregantle Fort (in the distance) was one of many erected by the Royal Commission established by Palmerstone - they came to be known as 'Palmerstone's Follies'. It was built between 1858 and 1866  and was to guard the western approaches to Plymouth. Originally it was intended to house 22 breech loaders (7 inch), 13 rifle muzzle loaders (64 pounders), 10 smooth bore breech loaders (32 pounders) and 26 other mounted guns. However, it was never fully armed and by 1882 there were only six gunners in a fort equipped for 1000. One gun was fired, experimentally, in 1886. The fort was used as an infantry barracks as early as 1891. The associated rifle ranges were built in the early 1900’s following its change to an infantry battalion HQ. It is still used as a firing range so, beware, when the red flags are flying. 

As a bonus, at the end of our walk we pooped into St Germanus's church at Rame. St. German is known as the fighting German Bishop who is supposed to have landed nearby when he came to England to suppress the Pelagian Heresy in AD 400. (Wikipedia says: Pelagianism is the belief in Christianity that original sin did not taint human nature and that mortal will is still capable of choosing good or evil without special divine aid. This theological theory is named after the British monk Pelagius, although he denied, at least at some point in his life, many of the doctrines associated with his name. Pelagius was identified as an Irishman by Saint Jerome. Pelagius taught that the human will, as created with its abilities by God, was sufficient to live a sinless life, although he believed that God's grace assisted every good work. Pelagianism has come to be identified with the view that human beings can earn salvation by their own efforts. But you knew all this already, didn't you?) 
The church is considered to be one of the best mediaeval churches in Cornwall but there was an earlier Norman church which pre-dates the present building, which was enlarged and rebuilt in the 13^th Century. 
Those with a keen eye will admire the  slender unbuttressed tower with its broached spire, both unusual features for a Cornish church - or so I read.

The church has no modern utilities such as electricity, gas or water and is still lit by candles during services. We haven't been to one but I think we really should. Illumination is achieved via these rather quaint broom-stick candle holders at the end of the pews.

Stained glass window dating from the early 20th Century.

Looking up the aisle through the rood screen towards the Norman font. Lots of lovely woodwork, which was being polished by two volunteers when we were there. More candle holders in evidence everywhere.

I wonder who Donald was named after? Was he related to the great man? Did he, Donald, hate his parents for giving him his middle name? I think I would have. Even Norman is better than Horatio.

And our next stretch? Well, it's got to be filling in the gap between our finishing point on this walk and Downderry. About 6 miles and something we'll have to plan when the firing range is not in operation.